Some meet that special person they will spend the rest of their lives with.

They get married

They build a life together

They have children and grow their family together.

They have peaks and valleys and work through whatever comes their way together.

Illness

Financial issues

Moves across the country

Times when they’re aren’t even sure they love each other anymore

And they work through it

Become stronger

Grow in wisdom and understanding

And some even die within days of each other.

~

Others find that special someone for a brief moment at just the right time.

Their love is intense, as if they’ve always known each other in a way that no one else has ever known them.

When they are together, no one else exists.

They share euphoric happiness.

They may even know that their love cannot last but they don’t care.

Right now, in that moment, what they have is worth any pain the future might bring.

Their time together, although short, and maybe because it’s short, burns with the intensity of a lifetime together.

I watched the video below yesterday and I found it beautiful and hauntingly sad. It moved me deeply.

Most of us will never again see the one who got away. But imagine if we did…would it play out like scene below?

Marina Abramovic and Ulay started an intense love story in the 70s, performing art out of the van they lived in. When they felt the relationship had run its course, they decided to walk the Great Wall of China, each from one end, meeting for one last big hug in the middle and never seeing each other again.

At her 2010 MoMa retrospective Marina performed ‘The Artist Is Present’ as part of the show, where she shared a minute of silence with each stranger who sat in front of her. Ulay arrived without her knowing and this is what happened.

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39 thoughts on “For a Lifetime or just a Moment in Time”

You do have a way with words, and so this was beautiful and the video heart-breaking… yet peaceful at the same time.
I was wondering Diana…. your story…..is there one that got away? Is there someone from some forgotten time and place that hauntingly comes back to visit you in your dreams – or perhaps in real life?

Elizabeth I am so sorry if this post caused you pain. I’m so inspired by your blog and journey! And to answer your question. Yes. And I imagine if we saw each other some time in the future it might play out in the same way. It wasn’t meant to be for a lifetime…just the way it is…
xo

It is amazing that people who have had the former of the (almost) life-long partner; and those who have experienced the shorter encounter; should meet here together via cyberspace; and offer each other words of encouragement and support on the lost love, and life without it.

What a story. I don’t know the background. I saw the exhibit at MOMA and admit it was a bit too “out there” for me in terms of art.
As far as relationships– well I’ve been married 31 years so I guess that says it.

One of my most favourite articles I ever wrote was about couples who found love as seniors — one of the couples had been childhood sweethearts. He moved away. They lost touch. Fast forward 40 years later, his wife, her husband have both passed away. He travels east to Montreal for a meeting, decides to look her up. They have lunch. She is wearing the silver bracelet he gave her for Valentine’s when she was 14. They got married 3 months later.

Damn but that is so moving… after all the time for them both to hold their composure… magnificent…
I found my love 40 years ago, and I think our feeling for each other is stronger now than what it was then… we have been the proverbial route of ” to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish forever, according to God s Holy Ordinance” I even still remember the words…and yes we have been through the lot.. all the possible things that could happen have.. yet we soldier on together…